Early To Bed... Early To Rise????

Dear Hazel,
Today was a banner day for us. Last night, you slept for six hours again, and then after your 4 a.m. feeding, went down for another 4 hours. Amazing! Even more amazing? You didn't have a big feeding at 8:30, so you fed again at 10:30 and actually took an hour-long nap after that! In your crib! YOUR CRIB!!! With no crying when I put you down. No needing me to sing you a folk song while walking circles around the living room and kitchen.

When you woke up, I took you to Costco and the bank... and you promptly fell asleep after only 15 minutes of crying in the car seat. And then you slept for 4.5 hours. UNHEARD OF, Hazel. When you finally woke up, you were ravenous. And I couldn't blame you. I mean, it had been almost 6 hours since your last feeding.

Daddy got home and played with you for a bit and around 6:45, you started to get a little fussy. We couldn't really figure out what was wrong other than your general evening fussiness, so Daddy put you in the swing, covered you with a blanket and stuck the binkie in your mouth, securing it against the blanket.

And. You. Were. OOOOOOT!!!

Here it is, almost three hours later, and we don't know what to do. I mean, we haven't had an evening like this since before you came into our lives. Usually at this time, we're either feeding you, consoling you for the fact that IT'S NIGHTTIME AND YOU MUST. CRY., or giving you a bath.

As it is now, I got all of our Christmas cards addressed and stamped... cleaned the kitchen, visited with a neighbor who brought over a gift for you and made fun of your Daddy for being obsessed with his new cell phone. And don't let him ever tell you he's not. And, keep in mind that being "gadgety" is just a fancy name for DORKY.

*AHEM*

So.... we are sitting here wondering what to do with you. It's clear that there's no bathtime in your future tonight. I'm wondering if you're ever going to wake up, or if you're going to spend the night in the swing. Surely you'll wake up soon. It's been four hours since your last feeding and Mommy's breasts are ready for you to wake up. FOR REAL.

I don't feel comfortable leaving you out in the living room overnight, so I may end up sleeping on the couch until you wake up. It's beginning to look like you're going to power through... maybe until midnight?

I guess the good part about this is that you've jumped face-first into an earlier bedtime? Could it have been that easy? Are you seriously just the easiest baby on the face of the planet and your father and I don't realize how good we have it? COULD IT BE THAT SIMPLE???

Love,
Mama